Bryant University
IN-3: Innovation 3

IDEA Program
The IDEA (Innovation and Design Experience for All) program is a one-credit course required for all incoming freshman as part of their First Year Gateway general education curriculum. The goal of IDEA program is to equip students with adaptive and innovative leadership skills and a creative design thinking lens that can be applied to any major, career path or potential employer in their future. Led by a team of faculty who have been certified by the innovative design firm IDEO, each student cohort of 25 students is coached by three mentors who give them a structure and systematic approach for developing and executing on new ideas from a creative perspective. In teams of 4-5, students learn to observe and assess an interaction between people and their environment in an assigned context, and then coalesce ideas and observations into a framing of the problem that lends well to proposing solutions. This process is followed by brainstorming potential solutions, then prototyping of a chosen solution. The prototype undergoes multiple revisions based upon continuous feedback from a panel of mentors (faculty, alumni, staff, and students). Students get to know each other in the cohort groups and individual teams they are assigned to. They are introduced to the Myers Briggs personality test in a unique, interactive way that is self-reflective and insightful on how to work best with their team. The third night is the final competition and pitch where again students are judged on their final prototype model. The IDEA program instills a “fail early to succeed later” mindset in students that they then take with them through their time at Bryant. It promotes innovative approaches to problem solving which manifests itself in later years and classes.

Almost half of the IDEA projects address some aspect of social justice, environmental stewardship, or sustainability. The following projects were all used in the IDEA program in 2013, 2014, and 2015:
1. LIBRARIES: How might public libraries be redesigned for the needs, technologies, and trends of the 21st century?
2. UNIVERSITY GATHERING SPACES: How might colleges and universities in Providence create effective spaces where students can informally come together to display or share artistic creations, exchange ideas, etc. (music, paintings, drawings, poetry, etc.)?
3. COLLEGE CLASSROOMS: How might we redesign college classrooms to enhance learning, improve student satisfaction, and increase faculty-student interaction?
4. YMCA: How might the YMCA support and help families become healthier and more physically fit?
5. ZOO ANIMALS: How might zoos enhance the quality of life for their animals and address concerns from animal rights activists?
6. TOY STORES: How might toy stores address more effectively the issue of gender stereotyping in the toy industry?
7. SKY ZONE: How might Sky Zone in Providence (indoor trampoline park) increase attendance and work to help combat childhood obesity?
8. RECYCLING: How might local communities enhance the recycling conducted by their citizens and local businesses?
9. CULINARY ARTS: How might the Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson and Wales attract more visitors and encourage healthier cooking and eating?
10. HEALTHY EATING: How might we make healthy food more accessible and affordable?
11. TEXTING & DRIVING: How might we get people to stop texting and driving?
12. ASSISTED LIVING: How might we make assisted living centers more enjoyable for their residents?
13. GOING TO THE GYM: How might we encourage more people to go to the gym on a regular basis?
14. ANIMAL RESCUE LEAGUE: How might the Animal Rescue League reduce the number of animals it must rescue and increase the rate of adoptions?